Cahkiage control for accounting



w. A. ANDERSON June 9, 1942.

CARRIAGE CONTROL FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 31, 1940 INVENTOR WALTER A. ANDERSON ATTORNEY Patented June 9, 1942 CARRIAGE CONTROL FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Walter A. Anderson, Bridgeport, Conn, assignor to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application October 31, 1949,;SeriaL-No. 363,732

4 Claims.

ture disclosed in the U. S. Patent No. 1,922,653,

issued to Walter A. Anderson on August 15, 1933. In the bookkeeping work performed on these machines it is desirable to predeterminately set controls on the carriage for stopping in or skip- I ping through certain columns of the work sheets irrespective of whether the machine is conditioner for debit or credit posting operations. Such stopping in or skipping of the columns varies with the requisites of the particular bookkeeping operations being performed, and since in the handling of a day's work, the forms may vary in their columnar stopping and skipping requirements, it is essential that the control be capable of ready adjustment from one set-up to another in accordance with the requisites of the particular batch of forms to be posted.

It is accordingly an object of the present inventionto provide a simple and eifective control means of this character that is readily adjustable to effect either stopping in or skipping of certain predetermined columns irrespective of whether the machine is set to perform debit or credit posting operations.

With this and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in appended claims, and a preferred embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawing which accompanies and forms par of the specification.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmental right side elevation of an accounting machine with the debit-credit shift mechanism in debit posting position, and showing a carriage control equipped with an adjustable column skip cam, latched in effective position,

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with the adjustable column skip cam unlatched and raised to inefiective position,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the debit-credit shift mechanism moved to credit posting position and the skip cam actuated to skip a certain column,

Figure .4 is a perspective view of a portion of the control plate with two of the column control blocks thereon equipped with adjustable skip cams, both of the cams being shown latched in effective position, and

Figure 5 is a rear view of a control plate showing certain of the control blocks equipped with adjustable column skip cams.

The traveling carriage l carries a tiltable control plate 2 pivoted between the carriage side Walls on the axis 3. The rear edge of the plate 2 rides on a roller secured in the machine to support the plate during its transverse working and return strokes. A series of stop and machine control pins 5, secured on the under side of plate 2 at laterally spaced positions corresponding to the columns of the bookkeeping form, are arranged to coact with escapement' stops and machine function controlling elements It]. riage in the columnar positions and condition control mechanism to perform the desired machine function in the instant column. The general construction of the carriage and its appurtenant parts is disclosed in detail in the before-mentioned Patent No. 2,088,982.

Mechanism similar to that disclosed in Patent No. 1,922,653 is provided on this machine to permit-skipping of debit columns when posting credit amounts, or skipping of credit columns when posting debit amounts, and thus allow rapid change-over from one type of posting operation to the other. This mechanism is comprised of depending cams 6 and I (Figure 5) secured to control blocks 8 and 9 fixed on plate 2 in the debit andcredit columns, respectively. The debit cam -6 lies closer to the rear edge of plate 2 than creditcam I so that as the carriage travels on its working stroke, the cams each define separate paths. The edges of cams 6 and "l are beveled, and are arranged to engage a roller 12 that is shiftable into the path of one or the other of the cams. Roller I2 is mounted on a slide l3 (Figure 1), that is mounted on studs 14 secured in the machine frame.

The means for shifting slide it and roller 52 comprises a lever 15 that is pivoted at 15 and has an upstanding arm having a pin-and-slot connection IT with slide it. A depending arm of lever I5 is pivoted at Hi to a link it mounted for sliding movement on a stud 22 secured to the machine frame. Link it is provided with a finger piece 23 to permit reciprocation of the link, which in turn, through lever 15, reciprocates slide IS. A spring tensioned detent .piv-

These stops and elements arrest the caroted at 25 has two notches to receive a pin 26 on lever I5 to hold the lever, slide and roller in their adjusted positions upon manipulation of link I9.

When link I9 occupies the position shown in Figure 1, roller I2 lies in the path of debit cam 6 (Figure 5), and upon the cam engaging the roller, cams plate 2 upwardl elevating pins 5 out of the path of the stops and control devices I0, so that the debit column is skipped. When link I9 is shifted toward the left (Figure 1), roller I2 is moved out of the path of debit cam 6 and into the path of credit cam I so that in similar manner the credit column is skipped.

Many bookkeeping operations require a plurality of folio or identifying entries, i. e., reference numbers for analysis and break-down of postings. In some instances it is desirable to stop the carriage in all of the folio columns provided, whereas in other instances it is desirable to stop the carriage in only certain of the folio columns and to skip through the others. It is essential that the folio column skipping control operate independently of the adjustment of the debit-credit control mechanism above described. It is also important that this control be readily adjustable in order to enable a rapid changeover from one set-up to another, or vice versa, to conform with the requisites of the particular group of bookkeeping forms to be posted.

The means for selectively and flexibly controlling the stopping or skipping of folio or reference number columns is comprised of a bracket 21 fixed on blocks 28 occupying the folio columnar positions on control plate 2. 23 is pivoted at 32 between ears formed on bracket 2?. Member 29 is formed with a depending skip cam 33 arranged to be latched in the transverse plane of roller I2 when the roller is shifted to credit position as shown in Figure 3. This member has secured thereto, in parallel relation with skip cam 33, a second depending skip cam 34 arranged to be latched in the transverse plane of roller I2 when the roller is shifted to debit position as shown in Figure 1. Cams 33 and 3 5 are beveled similarly to cams 6 and I. Member 23 is guided in its pivotal movement by a stud 35 secured in block 28 and extending upwardiy through a slot 35 in member 29. A compression spring 31, encircling stud 35 between block 28 and member 23, normally urges the member, together with cams 33 and 34, upwardly out of the plane of roller I2, to the position shown in Figure 2.

In this position, a lug 38, formed on the left edge of member 23, is engaged by a shoulder 39 of a latch 42 to limit its upward movement. Latch 42 is pivoted at 43 to block 28, and a spring 44 connected between the latch and an upstanding arm 45 On bracket 21 normally urges the latch clockwise about pivot 43 to hold shoulder 39 in engagement with lug 38. In such position, when the carriage tabulates to the folio columnar positions wherein the members 29 have been so adjusted, the cams do not engage roller I2, and control plate 2 remains in operative position, i. e., control pins 5 engage the escapement stops and control devices III, to permit the indexing and printing of a folio number in these columns.

When, however, it is desired to skip a folio column, the operator presses downwardly upon the member 29 occupying the folio columnar position that it is desired to skip, against the tension of spring 31, until a shoulder 45 in latch A member 42 engages lug 33 under tension of spring 44, latching the member in the position shown in Figure 1. In this position, cams 33 and 34 lie in the horizontal plane of roller I2, and when either cam engages roller I2 (depending upon the position in which the roller lies), plate 2 is cammed upwardly as shown in Figure 3, causing the skipping of that folio column. A depending lug 43, formed on the right side of member 29, lies adjacent block 28 when the' member is latched in effective position, so that when the cam 33 or 34 engages roller I2, block 28 supports the member against end thrust incident to such engagement.

If, in a group of subsequent bookkeeping operations, it should again become necessary to stop the carriage in this folio columnar position, the operator need only to rock latch 42 counterclockwise slightly to unlatch shoulder 46 from over lug 38, whereupon member 29 again springs upwardly, removing cams 33 and 34 to ineffective position. The provision of the movable parallel cams 33 and 34 permits independent control of the skipping of or stopping in selected folio columns, Whether roller I2 occupies its debit or credit position.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the operator may, by the very simple manipulation of member 23 or latch 42, render skip cams 33 and 34 effective or ineffective at will, in accordance with the particular requirements of the bookkeeping operations to be performed.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described having a traveling paper carriage, a control plate pivoted upon the carriage, cams mounted on the plate in various columnar positions and movable into and out of effective position, a member on the machine, against which the cams move when they are in effective position, for raising the plate to inoperative position and causing skipping of a column, and a separate latch for holding each cam in effective Position.

2. In a machine of the class described having a traveling paper carriage, a control plate pivoted on the carriage, cams on the plate arranged to travel in two different paths, a member on the machine adjustable into the path of the cam travelling in either path, for raising th plate to inoperative position, another cam on the plate having portions to strike the member when the latter is lying in either path, and being movable into and out of effective position with respect to said member, and means including a manipulative latch for holding the second mentioned cam in effective position.

3. In a machine of the class described having a traveling paper carriage, a control plate pivoted on the carriage, cams on the plate arranged to travel in different paths, a member on the machine adjustable into the path of the cam travelling in either path, for raising the plate to inoperative position, another cam on the plate movable into and out of effective position with respect to said member, and means including a manipulative latch for holding the second mentioned cam in effective position, said second mentioned cam being effective to raise the plate, when moved into efiective position, irrespective of the adjustment of the cam actuating member.

4. In a machine of the class described having a traveling paper carriage, a control plate pivoted on the carriage, cams on the plate arranged to travel in different paths, a member on the machine adjustable into one or the other of the paths of the cams for raising the plate to inop- 

